Items Made with Wiliwili Seeds:
The Wiliwili seeds are characterised by their large seeds and distinguishable shape, and they have various uses in Hawaiians ornaments and arts.
Down below are some examples of items made using wiliwili seeds:
- Lei: When dry, Wiliwili seeds can also be joined to other lovely seeds, shells, beads or seeds of other trees to fashion leis, traditional Hawaiian chaplets or garlands.
- Jewelry: The wiliwili seed is usable for crafting. When polished and drilled, can be converted to beads for necklaces, bracelets, or earrings. They are at times mixed with other materials like wood, bone or metal to make some beautiful jewelry productions.
- Decorative Items: Today, wiliwili seeds are used in artwork such as key chains, ornaments or sculptures that are easy to carry. The native people use these seeds to make beads, austerity and bangles. Therefore, they introduce an aspect of natural and cultural aspect to such products.
- Traditional Implements: For centuries in native Hawaiian culture, the seeds of the wiliwili are employed as anchors for fishing nets or as shakers in typical musical instruments.
- Artwork: In modern culture, artists and craftsmen infuse wiliwili seeds into the pieces of artwork which are in mixed media, sculptures and other artistic creations.
- Seed Pods: The pod on its own, before the seeds removal, can be used for so many other related things. This includes using seeds for decoration purposes or even as containers for small objects.
All in all, the wiliwili seeds are valued for both their beauty and their traditional significance in Hawaii art and crafts. It displays how the native Hawaiian flora is unique and has a rich culture which differ from the rest of the world.
How to Make Wiliwili Seeds Lei
The procedure of making a wiliwili seed lei is same as making any other seed or nut leis, but much caution needs to be exercised while handling seeds due to their size and rough texture.
Materials Needed:
- Wiliwili seeds (gathered by you or purchased from organic stores)
- Thin but very strong thread or fishing line.
- Needle (optional depending upon the thickness of thread or fishing line)
- Scissors
- Decorative works like beads or some other artwork (optional)
Steps to Follow:
- Prepare the Wiliwili Seeds:
- Make sure that seeds of wiliwili are clean, dry and free from any dirt. If they still possess any remaining pulp or residue, wipe them down with a soft brush or sponge.
- Thread Preparation:
- Material: Thread or fishing line – choose thin thread or fishing line and get a piece that is longer than the string length that you want to make because you will apply it in tying knots.
- Stringing the Seeds:
- Begin by making a knot anywhere along the rear side of the thread to minimize chances of seeds falling off.
- Hold a wiliwili seed and place it on the thread, compressing this until it touches the knot.
- Keep on adding more seeds in the thread, each seed slides down to lie on the preceding seed.
- Creating the Lei Pattern:
- Choose how you will arrange your seeds. If you wish, you can use other materials with Seeds, such as beads. You can also use other color seed to make different colored lei.
- Maintain the tightness of the thread in order to align the Lei properly by laying if flat. This helps the seed to be evenly placed.
- Decorating (Optional):
- If you desire a stringing of beads or any other decorations, these findings can be inserted in between the seeds as the stringing process continues.
- Final Touches:
- Pull the string more slightly to the back so that the lei is strong enough to keep together and each seed rest flat.
- If liked, the seeds can be painted over with a layer of natural oil or varnish to make them even shinier and hardier.
Extra Tips:
- Handling Seeds: The seeds of wiliwili trees are small and in some cases delicate. As such, be careful not to crack or damage them when threading the existing strings.
- Pattern and Design: There are no specific tips for creating this lei. But you can try to create unique patterns by using different materials.
- Maintenance: To ensure the quality of your lei, it is important to store it in a cool dry place especially if it is not to be worn immediately.
Putting together a wiliwili seed lei is an exciting and engaging activity. If done right, it can also help strengthen the bond between the craft, culture and people. Additionally, the contribution made to the beautification of the islands make a wiliwili seed lei all worth it.
Where to purchase Wiliwili leis:
- You can find wiliwili lei on Amazon as well as on Etsy.
- Ali Express also sell very beautiful leis made with different colored seeds.
Click here to read more on Wiliwili seeds and how to grow wiliwili tree from seeds.
